Udo Konradt

Managing distance by interdependence: Goal setting, task interdependence, and team-based rewards in virtual teams

Virtual teams, i.e., work groups in which members collaborate from distant locations predominantly based on electronic communication media, are increasingly introduced in organizations due to new opportunities of electronic communication media and recent trends of globalization and teamwork. Among the main challenges of virtual teams is the maintenance of high work motivation due to reduced face-to-face interaction. The current study examined whether these motivational challenges can be compensated by the experienced interdependence within virtual teams. Consistent with our expectations, the result of a field study with 31 virtual teams showed that management practices related to goal, task, and outcome interdependence correlated with the effectiveness of the teams. In more effective teams, quality of goal setting processes and task interdependence were higher compared to less effective teams. Positive effects of task interdependence were particularly present during the first year of virtual teamwork. Moreover, the use of team-based rewards as operationalization of outcome interdependence was also positively related with team effectiveness. Further analyses revealed that the positive effects of these management practices were partially mediated by motivational processes of the team members. Implications for successful virtual teamwork are discussed.

Effects of Process Feedback on Motivation, Satisfaction, and Performance in Virtual Teams

In virtual teams, the lack of feedback and information about team processes is a major problem. To encounter this challenge of virtual teamwork, team process feedback was provided by an Online-Feedback-System (OFS). It contained feedback regarding motivation, task-related aspects, and relationshiprelated aspects. A longitudinal study of 52 virtual teams with student participants was conducted. Teams that used the OFS showed an increase in performance compared with controls that did not use the OFS. Furthermore, results indicate initial motivation as a moderating variable on the improvement caused by the OFS. Positive OFS effects were found on motivation and satisfaction for the less motivated team members. Furthermore, for less motivated team members, effects of the OFS on performance were mediated by interpersonal trust. Overall, results imply that team process feedback has a positive effect on motivation, satisfaction, and performance in virtual teams.

Usability in online shops: scale construction, validation and the influence on the buyers’ intention and decision

This paper describes the development and empirical validation of a new scale for measuring usability in online shops, i.e. the Usability Questionnaire for Online Shops (UFOS1). Sixty users with different demographic characteristics were given the task of finding and ordering products in two out of six web shops. In addition to usability, shop response time, shop size, services, distinctiveness of products and trust were used as predictors with intention to buy and decision to buy as criteria. A factor analysis of UFOS revealed seven factors, consisting of general usability, accessibility of general conditions, product search, shopping-basket handling, process of ordering, product overview, self-descriptiveness and product characteristics. Results on intention to buy show that about half of the participants were not willing to buy online, and users with more experience in online shopping and a higher frequency of Internet use were more willing to buy online. A regression analysis of buying intention shows that usability has the greatest impact on buying intention, followed by the size of the shop and trust. A discriminant analysis reveals that usability and perceived size are the characteristics which contribute mostly to the decision to buy and correctly classify 91% of the decision to buy.

Predicting user satisfaction, strain and system usage of employee self-services

In this study, we explore attitudinal and behavioural patterns when using employee self-service (ESS) systems by using an expanded technology acceptance model (TAM). We examine the relationship between organizational support and information policy on the one hand and ease of use and usefulness on the other, and then the relationship between ease of use and usefulness with satisfaction, strain and system usage. To explore question order effects, user satisfaction was assessed prior to or after survey items. Data was collected from 517 employees using an ESS system. Results from partial least squares structural equation modelling suggests that (a) organizational support and information policy were positively related to ease of use, (b) usefulness was positively related to satisfaction and system usage, (c) ease of use and usefulness were negatively related to user strain and (d) ease of use fully mediates the relation between organizational support and strain as well as between information policy and strain. Evidence for a question order effect was found with increased satisfaction judgements, when satisfaction was assessed after the survey items. Results are discussed in terms of the theoretical and methodological aspects of the TAM and their implications for ESS system implementation.

Two-Dimensional Structure of Team Process Improvement: Team Reflection and Team Adaptation

Work group literature has recently focused on team process improvement, which refers to a learning process within the team, including the review of recent work methods and objectives and the development of alternative working strategies. Until now, however, no systematic empirical effort has been undertaken to empirically explore the dimensionality of team process improvement, although a dual focus, namely, team reflection and team adaptation, is theoretically accepted. The authors thus examined a two-dimensional structure of team process improvement by distinguishing team reflection and team adaptation in two studies using an experimental and a field design. Confirmatory factor analyses results of both studies provide evidence for the hypothesized two-dimensional structure of team process improvement. Additionally, the field study of organizational teams show that team reflection and team adaptation predict team performance to some extent.

A Work Roles and Leadership Functions of Managers in Virtual Teams

This study examined the perceived importance of line managers and middle managers in virtual teams of what work roles and leadership functions are necessary to promote virtual team success and performance. Using Quinn’s (1988) competing values frame-work it was found that control-related roles of directors and producers were perceived to be most important. With years in a leading position, the repertoire of leadership roles needed to successfully lead virtual teams declined. Additionally, middle managers compared to line managers perceived people oriented leadership functions (i.e., mentor and facilitator roles) and flexibility-related work roles (i.e., innovator and mentor roles) as more important whereas line managers compared to middle managers perceived stability leadership functions (i.e., monitor and coordinator roles) as more important. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.

The Relation Between Self-Leadership and Transformational Leadership Competing Models and the Moderating Role of Virtuality

This study aims to integrate self-leadership into a more comprehensive leadership model. Therefore, it examines the relationship between self-leadership, transformational leadership, and work motivation (i.e., self-efficacy and instrumentality) relative to job performance and affective commitment. In addition, the influence of the work environment is of interest for a more comprehensive leadership model. Thus, the moderating role of virtuality was examined. Three competing models of self-leadership, which are theoretically plausible, are compared in this study: self-leadership acting (a) as a process factor mediating the relation between transformational leadership and employee motivation; (b) as an input factor, simultaneously with transformational leadership; and (c) as a process factor mediating the relation between work motivation and job performance/affective commitment. Results from structural equation modeling indicate that self-leadership is a process factor that mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and employee motivation. Results further suggest that self-leadership has a higher influence on motivation in virtual work structures compared with colocated work structures. Limitations, implications for management, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Messung von Selbstführung: Psychometrische Überprüfung der deutschsprachigen Version des Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire

Zusammenfassung. Eine deutschsprachige Kurzfassung des Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire von Houghton und Neck (2002) wird im Hinblick auf Skaleneigenschaften, Reliabilitat (Interne Konsistenz) und Validitat (Konstruktvaliditat und Kriteriumsvaliditat) in drei Studien mit insgesamt N = 850 Personen untersucht. In der deutschen Version (RSLQ-D) werden mit jeweils drei Items neun Faktoren erster Ordnung erfasst, die drei Faktoren zweiter Ordnung (Verhaltensorientierte Strategien, Naturliche Belohnungsstrategien und Kognitive Gedankenmusterstrategien) bilden. Nach Modifikation der Skala wies der RSLQ-D eine gute psychometrische Qualitat auf. Die angenommene neunfaktorielle Struktur konnte repliziert werden. Hinweise auf die Kriteriumsvaliditat ergaben sich aus der Vorhersage der Schulnoten, die in zwei Teilstichproben den erwarteten Zusammenhang mit den Selbstfuhrungsstrategien aufzeigten. Auf der Basis der Befunde stellt der RSLQ-D ein reliables, konstruktvalides und okonomisches Verfahren zur Messung d...

Web-based Assessment of Call Center Agents: Development and Validation of a Computerized Instrument

This study describes the development and validation of the (C-A-T), an Internet-based multi-method measure for the pre-selection of call center agents. The C-A-T includes a short biographical form, a cognitive speed test, a personality inventory, and a multimedia situational judgement test. A total of 327 call center agents completed the C-A-T and were concurrently assessed by their superiors. In a pilot study (=151), a prototype was tested and subsequently optimized. In the main study (=176), the revised and extended version of the C-A-T was reliable (=.85) and showed good convergent and discriminant validity. The concurrent validity (=.33) can be considered to be satisfactory for a computerized pre-selection instrument. Evidence was also found for high face validity and acceptance in both studies.

Formative Versus Reflective Measurement: An Illustration Using Work–Family Balance

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to propose the formative measurement approach that can be used in various constructs of applied psychology. To illustrate this approach, the authors will (a) discuss the distinction between commonly used principal-factor (reflective) measures in comparison to the composite (formative) latent variable model, which is often applied in other disciplines such as marketing or engineering, and (b) point out the advantages and limitations of formative specifications using the example of the work–family balance (WFB) construct. Data collected from 2 large cross-sectional field studies confirm the reliability and validity of formative WFB measures as well as its predictive value regarding criteria of WFB (i.e., job satisfaction, family satisfaction, and life satisfaction). Last, the specific informational value of each formative indicator will be demonstrated and discussed in terms of practical implications for the assessment in different psychological fields.